Service Graphics has unveiled ambitious expansion plans just one week on from its creation.

It was formed by the management of Photobition UK Graphics Division after the demise of parent group Photobition (PrintWeek, 2 November).

The new group will consist of 14 production and support sites around the UK, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, Bristol, Wandsworth and the City of London.

Three former Graphics Division production sites in Birmingham, Southampton and Reading are not expected to form part of the plans, although a small sales office will operate in Birmingham.

"This is the best-case scenario for the UK companies," said Photobition UK head of marketing Rob Kelly. "A lot of what we had planned was on the cards, but recent events have allowed us to progress these much faster."

The new group will be overseen and managed by Ben Moss, Paul Green and Charlie Reed, who originally created, developed and ran the Photobition UK Graphics business.

Plans to create two super-sites are underway, with Photobition Service in Wandsworth expanding by 1,500m2 to become the new 5,000m2 UK headquarters.

The firm aims to be operating the site 24 hours a day, seven days a week by early February 2002, with staff numbers nearly doubling from 100 to 180 in order to handle its 15m of business a year.

Kelly said that the vast majority of new staff would come from the three sites that will close, but added: "Obviously some staff will not want to transfer, so a number will necessarily be new employees."

The second London site, at Photobition Jupiter in Clerkenwell, will incorporate the manufacturing facility for the Premier display products range, with staff numbers set to increase from 70 to 100.

Story by Andy Scott